Red seaweed aquaculture is an established and rapidly growing enterprise in asia, but IT is an emerging industry in the united states

Right now, asia dominates because of low labor costs, and ease of nearshore mariculture site development. For the U.S. To compete with asia, and to expand the red seaweed aquaculture enterprise in the U.S., new cultivars and advanced cultivation technologies are needed to intensify the growth of red seaweed in land-based systems that make premium products such as plant-based proteins. The scientific purpose of this project is to advance land-based aquaculture of red seaweeds in the U.S. Through development of new cultivar morphologies and raceway cultivation processes that enable high productivity, high product quality, and ease of harvest in engineered systems. The four proposed activities of this project, and their expected outcomes, are highlighted below. First, we will develop and characterize new cultivars of two red seaweed of commercial significance, gracilaria parvispora and devaleraea mollis (pacific dulse). These cultivars will grow into compact balls of densely branched tissue about 5 to 7 CM diameter. This compact shape will increase biomass productivity in engineered cultivation systems. Second, we will demonstrate the productivity of compacted red seaweed balls in raceway cultivation systems, and then estimate the costs of grow-out and mechanized harvest. Third, the research activities will be leveraged to advance technology development interests of three private partners that make valued food products through red seaweed aquaculture. Finally, through the oregon sea grant extension, we will establish the red seaweed learning collaborative (RSLC). The RSLC will advance engagement, extension, and education associated with the development of land-based red seaweed aquaculture, integrate real-time research outcomes into these activities, and broaden participation. The use-inspired research, outreach, and education activities are intended for a variety of beneficiaries. First, the emerging U.S. Seaweed aquaculture community will benefit from the published research advances generated by this project, which are aligned with national priorities that seek to develop and refine methods, protocols, techniques, and/or strategies to enhance the production of one or more life stages of aquaculture species, in this case, red seaweeds of commercial value. Second, through targeted extension and outreach activities, we will engage private partners in the research process to help advance their commercialization goals for red seaweed aquaculture, and provide technical information to potential growers, the end users of the new technologies. Third, through education and training activities, students will benefit. Specifically, graduate students will be trained for entry into the aquaculture workforce. Undergraduate students will be trained in science communication for extension and outreach. Students will be recruited from under-represented groups in science-technology-engineering-math (STEM) to engage in these activities.